


The Moon is Made of Green Cheese

by Wawa4me



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Cheese, Cheese is a curse word now?, F/M, Other, Romance, Slow Updates, This story is going to go on so long I have too much planned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2019-06-26 04:33:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15655839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wawa4me/pseuds/Wawa4me
Summary: Heather Williams. She really is a piece of work. She loves cheese and attracts trouble like a magnet, not to mention the people she hangs out with. She isn't classy enough to be Bruce Wayne's girlfriend and she really needs to keep track of her phone. Also does anyone know what's with the whole cheese thing?Disclaimer: I don't own DC comics.





	1. Chapter 1

The wind is harsh and cold against my skin. Seriously why did my dad think it was a good idea to chose this spot to make the deal? It's cold and my toes are freezing off, that and my body suit isn’t like Finnick’s. It doesn’t have all that fancy crap that kept you heated or cooled and I only have on a coat with nothing to warm my legs. I'd been sitting here for the last two hours slowly losing all feeling in my body. Just because I have the ability to regrow limbs doesn't mean we should test it every chance we get.

I look up when I hear the buzz of a helicopter and a minute later it came into view, landing about thirty feet away. I push myself off of my seat on the cargo and unbutton my coat to give me a little more room to move freely, waiting for them to approach me.

They're cautious and the person I can only assume to be our buyer approached with five other men dressed in black and armed with high powered military weapons. He's wearing a blue jacket and goggles to cover his eyes from the blinding snow. “Miss” He greets coming to a stop in front of me.

“Baker, I assume?”

“Baker? My name is Devon.” I smile.

“Good. Just wanted to make sure you weren't a cop.” I turn to the first create behind me and pry it open, pulling out a part and tossing it towards the customer.

“Fifteen per row with twenty total rows in all five crates.” I lean on the crate keeping my eyes level and watching him inspect it.

“Might I try it Miss?” I nod. He attaches the automizer to his gun and fires into the snow. “It’s smooth. We’ll take it.” He raises his hand and points it towards the crates in an up and down motion. I quirk an eyebrow and step back. Rory did say she didn't have a good feeling about this job. As they move towards the creates I unsheath my sword from under my coat and lopped off the nearest one’s head, narrowly avoiding the spray of blood and as if in slow motion his head hits the snow, staining it. In that moment chaos is unleashed. Turning I reached for my gun in my coat pocket and shot the two pilots in the head before ducking behind a crate.

They all began to shout. Devon screamed, “She knows!” and pulled out his gun to fire at the crate. Rather useless considering the insides were reinforced with steel to insure the crates wouldn't spill open if dropped. We had one too many occasions of our products spill in into the ocean floor because something went wrong.

I reach carefully over the top and grab an atomizer, attaching it to my gun. The sword was great and all but my father only taught us to use other weapons incase we didn't have a gun, and to annoy the league of assassins. Mostly to annoy the league of assassins. I crouch above the crate and shoot all the other men quickly, and before I know it everyone but 'Devon' is dead. I sigh and step out back into the open, grabbing my katana from its place in the snow.

Devon glared at me and continued to point his gun at me until I reach him. “How’d you know we were cops?” He asked, looking me in the eye. I smile.

“I didn’t.” 

His head hits the snow with a soft thud. I clean the blade and let out a groan. "Dad is gonna be so pissed I used the product."

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

I like omelettes, mostly because you can really put as much cheese in them as you want and no one can judge you. Plus breakfast. It’s singlehandedly the best meal of the day. The sun always rises slowly in Gotham, so I usually wait til the sun is out to go on my morning run, which gives me plenty of time to eat, shower and stretch.

Today I woke up to the Sun, which meant my schedule was off by about two hours. It always took thirty minutes to get out of bed, and hour to shower, because hot water was a gift from god, and thirty minutes to dress, eat and stretch. This time I had to haul myself out of bed, skip the shower, skip breakfast and run to work. I’d grab a donut and coffee once I was there. It was a promising morning.

Rolling out of bed I slipped into a white blouse and pleated pants. I pulled up my long red curls into a tight ponytail and grabbed my phone off the nightstand, and purse off the floor. This was going to be a hell of a day already. Once I was out the door I stuffed my hands in my pockets and started the twenty minute walk to work, which was maybe not the best choice for Gotham but my car was still in the shop. After my last case one of the mayor's underlings had conveniently lost control of his car and rammed full force into mine. In the end I had been fine within two days and just more dedicated to exposing the mayor for just who he was.

I’d only moved to Gotham five years ago, but finding a job hadn’t been a problem. Turning the corner to reach the station I bump into someone, hot coffee pouring down my jacket and white shirt.

“Hot!” I jerked backwards and stumbled. “Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!”

“Crap! Sorry Ma’am, I didn’t mean to run into you!” I looked down at my ruined shirt and sighed. Great now I’d have to throw this one away.

“No It’s okay, I really need to start looking where I’m going.” I looked up from my shirt and was surprised to see the infamous Bruce Wayne towering above my small stature. The first thing that runs through my brain is _‘He’s way more attractive in person’_.

“Still, I’m sorry anyhow.” He gave me a dazzling smile.

“It’s fine, can I ask your name?” I figured I should probably be polite to the person I’d just run into and it really had nothing to do with the fact that he was quite an attractive man.

“Bruce.” He reached out his hand. “Bruce Wayne.” It sounded like he half expected some sudden realization and fangirl. _Rude._ He wasn’t that attractive.

“Heather Williams.” I shake his hand. “Nice to meet you.” I look down at my shirt one last time before buttoning up my jacket. “Well I really must be on my way to work.” I point at the police station about a block down the street. Blue eyes are great and all but I think deep rich brown ones are better, but I might be biased.

He smiled and nodded. I moved around him and headed towards the police station doors. Stepping inside I head towards the back past my desk, approaching Jim’s office. I knock and enter without waiting for an answer. Jim glances up and gives me a tired smile. “Heather.” He greeted, looking tired and worn to the bone.

“Jim.” I laugh glancing at the table that was a mess of paperwork. “Someone had a late night. Hey listen do you have an extra shirt, I spilled coffee on mine on the way to work.” He looked at me with a weird look before shaking his head and pointing to the locker behind him.

“Thanks a bajillion!” I grab the shirt and change before heading out to my desk. I worked as a detective for the GCPD. I started working here four years ago, and honestly I loved the job. Working in Gotham insured you had a never ending stream of cases and as someone who had no life outside of work I liked the idea of something to do. It got rather lonely when your two floored tiny town house felt like an empty mansion without another person to live there.

I still don’t have a partner even after four years, it was mostly because almost no one stayed alive or worked there long enough to become a detective. It was also because I had a track record of working on cases that involved highly influential people, so while I was well liked, no one really wanted to be my _partner_.

The day passed with little comotion and before I knew it almost everyone had filed out except for Gordon who was approaching my desk now. “Heather, would it be to much to call in a favor?” He put his hand on the desk and ran his other hand through his hair.

“Depends on what this favor is.”

“Well you see, I don’t know that Batman is looking for some information on a criminal from forty years ago who was never put in the computerized system, but If I did I would tell you to avoid talking to him and definitely not to show him where this person he might be looking for is. That too much to ask?”

I give him a small smile. “Hardly. I’ve always been good at avoiding Batman anyhow.” It was true enough, I’d never seen him, and I wasn’t exactly the person who wanted to go looking for trouble in an alley.

“Thanks, I promised Barbra I’d try to be home at a reasonable hour tonight.”

“Then you’d better get a move on because I’d hardly consider ten pm a reasonable hour.” I stood and waved him out the door, taking the keys from his hand and saying goodbye. I sighed and sunk into my chair to wait for Batman. Moving to pull out my phone I suddenly realize it’s not there.

Did I leave it somewhere? No I had it before I left home, but I don’t remember using it all day. Oh that’s great. I must have dropped it when I ran into Bruce Wayne, and there’s no way it was still there. This is Gotham after all.

“It’s just like me to lose my phone and not notice all day. I’m so stupid sometimes.” Someone clears his voice behind me and I jump out of my seat. “Hell, you scared the ever living Irish out of me.” Batman gives me a strange look but doesn’t say anything. “Anywho, I was told you’re looking for a criminal, how can I be of service?”

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

“I’m looking for information on a man named George Fenway.” Batman watches me closely, as if suspicious I’d suddenly try to attack him.

“George Fenway? Doesn’t ring a bell off the top of my head but let’s take a look.” I turn on my heel and march towards the evidence lockers. Most of the lockers were cluttered and disorganized from years past, but recently I’d been actively trying to sort things out, we have backlog starting from about forty years ago. Batman followed silently, I could feel his stare boring into my back like he was trying to burn a hole through me.

Unlocking the door, I turn the lights on and head towards the back where all the boxes of old arrests are. I hand him a box and open a different one settling in to try to find him. Most of the time I spent going through names of sneaking glances at the man next to me. He was certainly a curious man, if he was a man. I mean he’s basically an amazing detective who one day decided to dress up like a bat and take on crime in Gotham. Chuck Norris meets a dramatic Sherlock Holmes?

My first guess would be Gordon if it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t have the time. My mind could even get around them being seen in the same place at the same time, this is Batman we’re talking about afterall. He could just be several different people. One to do the detective work, another to fight, and one person to keep up Batman’s appearances near the other two. Possibly another to pay for it all. Finding someone of the same stature wouldn’t really be to hard in Gotham, the number of nondescript people here is insane. But I’m getting sidetracked.

Thirty minutes later I sat up suddenly. “Found it!” Batman turned around and walked over. “George Fenway, arrested for battery, and a few cases of petty theft-” Batman rather suddenly snatched the file out of my hands. “Hey!”

“Thank you for your help.” He closed the file and left the locker room. I stayed cross legged on the floor watching him leave.

‘ _Seriously?! I was the one who found it and he had the nerve to just walk out on me? Men. Specifically bat men.’_ I huffed and began to pick up the files I’d tossed around, placing them back into the boxes. I glanced down to see a stray paper. It was from Fenway’s file! Ha, I guess I’d have some information that Batman didn’t. I wouldn’t the chance to probe him, or her, about my previous ideas.

Brushing red curls out of my face I started to read the paper before finding something interesting. It read: ‘Possibly affiliation with Gotham’s newest arms dealer, Officer Herald Johanes sent to look further into the matter, he came up with only Fenway making a few references to “The Bard” and hanging near lower Gotham’s east harbor.’

“The Bard”? Surly _that_ couldn’t be a coincidence. Well isn’t that just great, just when I’d really lost all touch and was completely out of the game and uninformed. I talked to my mother only six months ago, and while a lot could happen in that time I was hoping to leave most of it behind. “I did move to Gotham and become a detective so what did I really expect?” I said to aloud. I sighed and folded the paper, tucking it into my back pocket before heading home once I had finished in the evidence locker.

When I was home I relaxed into the chair, turning the TV on. The news talked about recent developments in a presidential campaign, new scandals, blah blah blah blah blah. I didn’t really care as the piece of paper burned a hole into my pants pocket. Finally I threw off the comfy blanket and headed for my computer. Pulling out the piece of paper I logged in and clicked into Safari. Typing in the name “Bard” I quickly searched through the results and came up with nothing.

Not really surprising, at the end of my time he’d gotten even better at staying off of the public internet. Exiting my mouse hovered over a much different server, weighing my options. In the end I logged out and closed my computer. This was something Batman would deal with, and I could keep what little anonymity I had.

The next morning I was up on time and out for my run. Work came and went and the strange day became little more than a faint impact on my week, until Friday that is.

  



	4. Chapter 4

'Knock! Knock!'

Ugh, who the heck is that? It’s bright and early and I was hoping to maybe sleep in and skip out on my run! I roll off the bed and trudge to the long grueling forty steps to the door. Throwing open the door I glare at the person through squinting eyes and unruly curls.

“Who the flipping cheese do you think you are?”

“Uh….. Bruce Wayne?”

“Bruce? I don't know any Bruces.”

“The one who ran into you….”

“Oh!” I blink a few times and my vision clears revealing a smiling Bruce Wayne. “Sorry, it’s far too early to be knocking on peoples doors. You can’t really expect me to remember you at five am.”

“It’s actually 10…..” Wait, hold the pancakes.

“What? Oh goodness I am _so_ late for work.”

Coughing into his hand Bruce gave me an amused smile. “Well I dropped by to return this.” He produces my phone from his pocket and hands it to me.

I take it looking at him with suspicion. “You return it to me a week later? Also how did you know where my house is?”

“Ah well, I waited the first day for you to call your phone, and then when you didn’t I put a few of my employees up to the job of opening it and they figured it out last night so I came today.”

“So you took my phone, obsessed over it, invaded my privacy, stalked me to my home and showed up out of nowhere.” I level him with a raised eyebrow and disbelieving stare while I try to hide my snicker.

“I suppose you could put it that way. I could also call you crazy for cursing at me with the word Cheese.” He smirks, clearly holding back a laugh. I only roll my eyes. “Oh, I also took the liberty of putting my phone number in your favorites and naming myself the coolest person alive.” Bruce looks very pleased with himself.

“Of course you did.” I push hair out of my face and glance outside at the blinding sun. “I’ll just need to remember to change it to Annoying later.” His face falls instantly and I grin.

“I am a very pleasant person, some people even call me Gotham’s Prince.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

“You ma’am, are having too much fun at my expense.”

“Hardly.” I relax into the door frame, who knew someone could be so fun to tease.

“I suppose I should let you go so you can get to work.” He gives me a blinding smile, hands returning to his overcoat pockets. “I’ll be seeing you then?”

“Mahhhhhhhhh, maybe. By the way if you come over again with no warning you better bring food, otherwise I’m not talking to you.” I slam the door in his face and turn to take a long shower. If I was this late already I might as well take my time. Also I seriously need to get a louder alarm, I slept through it, again.

Work was easy and Gordon just took time off my vacation days. The weekend was boring up until the part where I decided to text Bruce. It was on a whim but so far I had enjoyed his company and was interested to get to know him a bit better. We decided to meet up at a local Ice cream shop, he promised to pay, and I promised to bring cards.

Apparently I suck at Cards. Bruce beat me to hell and back at everything from Slap Jack and Spit to freaking War. He won war five times, I couldn’t prove he was cheating but the fifth time I was sure that he was.

“Your Ice cream is melting Heather.” Bruce laughed, he was trying to distract me.

“I don’t care. I’m trying to figure out how you’re cheating.” He laughs again and a good feeling bubbles up in my chest.

“I’m not cheating, I’m just very lucky.” I shake my head slowly, still suspicious.

“I don’t believe you” He leans back into his chair, resting his large pile of cards on the table and stretching his hands above his head.

“So Heather, you’ve talked about your job, what about your family?” I stop glaring at the cards, sitting up and looking at his face. A small smile graces his lips and his eyes shimmer with genuine intrigue and a little amusement.

Something inside me lets a door open and I feel just a little more at ease with him. “I don’t talk to them too much anymore. I have three younger sisters and one elder brother. To be honest I haven’t talked to any of them in a least two of three years. My last conversation with my mother was a few months ago and it wasn’t much more than polite ‘Hi’ and ‘How are you’.” I shuffle with the cards in my hands, unconsciously counting them over and over.

Bruce’s face darkens slightly but he keeps the smile and his eyes don’t waver from mine. “I haven’t had a close relationship with any of them for a while now, but what about you?” It was a rather loaded question to ask a man whose parent’s death had been broadcasted to the world his entire life, but it slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

He gave me a weird look before reaching over and snatching my Ice cream and beginning to eating it. I only protested with a expression of mock horror. “Well, as most everyone knows my parents died when I was younger, and I’ve never had any siblings. I do have Alfred, my butler but he’s always been more like a father to me than anything else.” He took another bite, giving me a smirk.

“Why don’t you like this Ice cream?” He asked, mocking me.

I nearly threw the cards at his face. “I love Ice cream, I was just trying to figure out how you were cheating.” I narrowed my eyes again. “Cheater.”

He pretended to be offended, throwing his hand to his forehead. “I’m not a cheater, you were the one counting cards after all.” I blubber and give him a wide eyed look.

“How could you tell- I mean, um, I wasn’t cheating!”

“Uh-huh, sure.” He takes another bite, hiding his smile behind the paper bowl.

I grin. “You sir are having too much fun at my expense.”

His eyes widen but a smile that sends my stomach into flips appears across his face. _“Hardly.”_


	5. Chapter 5

Monday starts with a beautiful alarm sounding off into my ears, waking me up at a time that would allow for me to achieve my daily morning activities without being late to work. But my days seemed to be straying away from the normalcy that had settled in a few years ago because the walk to work didn’t go as planned, again. 

Starting with turning the corner and spotting Batman lurking on the edge of the roof of a nearby building in broad daylight. I pause and consider my options, continue to work, or be reckless and climb up the side stairs before he leaves.

My choice: Reckless. 

Batman was just too much of a curiosity.

I climb the stairs and reach the edge where he’s sitting. “What are you doing here, shouldn’t you be at the Station?” His deep voice scares me, and I take a step back before looking out to see what he was watching. Hie eyes were focused directly at my job.

“I was wondering why you were lurking on top of a building when you should be in your cave, sleeping.” It certainly wasn’t the first Bat jab I’m sure someone made at him but I didn’t really care.

“The Joker has taken the Police Station hostage, and planted a bomb in the city.” I turn sharply to look at him, I study him before looking back at the Station.

My voice is low and serious. “Where?”

“Wayne tower.”

“And I’m sure he wants you to pick between them.” I pause moving my gaze to the tower. “How much time do we have?”

“Less than thirty minutes.” I’d need to get a move on now if I wanted to make it in time then.

“I’ll take the bomb, you deal with the station.” Without waiting for a response I turn around and am down the stairs in seconds. Before I know it I’m sprinting down the street  pushing people out of the way and barely avoiding oncoming cars. Ignoring the burning in my legs I push forward trying to pull everything I can remember about dismantling a bomb from my memories.

_ ‘Heather, we’d all be dead by now.’ The voice was calm but serious. ‘Try it again, but this time, try to recognize the components of the bomb, no two people make them the same. Not even if they try.’ _

I turned the corner and stopped as I watched people flood into the building, talking about work or their families. I surveyed the building trying to find the best spot to plant the bomb to destabilize the buildings support. The reality was that Joker probably hadn’t planted just one bomb, but I could only hope that I’d find them all in time.

I pulled out my badge and ran through the doors flashing it at security and heading towards the stairs. I ran down the stairs into the basement floors, figuring it was the easiest place to hide a bomb.

I moved through the rooms until I could hear a faint beeping sound. I froze as terror struck my core. I’d found it. Who knew the quiet continuous beeping sound could sound so utterly terrifying.

Taking a deep breath I followed it to an small air duct. I peered inside and spotted the rather large bomb a ways back to where the small duct opened up. Pulling off my coat and grabbing the swiss army knife from it’s pocket I yanked off the grate and decided to squeeze through without trying to find the entrance to the big duct. I didn’t really have the time.

As I pushed on through the narrow passage I felt my ribs smoosh into my body. The further I pushed the tighter it became and suddenly blinding pain erupted from my sides. I struggled to breath for a few seconds but pushed on, I didn’t have the time to dwell on it.

I stopped when I was halfway through and my head came out to be just over the bomb. There was a bright red ticking timer at eleven minutes. It was just like the joker to pick up a bomb with a flashy timer. I pushed out the thought and surveyed the bomb. It didn’t have any immediately defining parts that would clue me in to it’s maker.

Carefully I opened the top of the bomb and surveyed the mass of wires in the bomb, it was far more than was strictly needed but it did give me a rather good idea of just who exactly had built this bomb. I gingerly moved the wires around searching for one that was actually connected to something important. May of the wires were tied together and proved to be for show so I began to cut them out of the way.

I looked back up at the timer and a four blinked back up at me. There was no way that much time had already past. Cheese. This wasn’t good. I looked back down and squinted trying to pick out any wires that looked different. Suddenly I noticed a few duller wires that didn’t hold the same shine the others did. Gotcha! Now just to figure out which one it was, I followed them back to their source, the first led into the timer and into the formula which was the wire that would cause the bomb to blow. I let go and followed another back into a battery. Finally!

I sucked in a breath despite the pain and cut it. I waited on for a few seconds before letting out a sigh of relief. Slowly backing out of the vent I sink to the ground. Pain seared spots of color across my vision and my head spun. I glanced at my watch and wondered if I should head back to the Station or just go to the hospital. Suddenly there was a loud bang as the door slammed open and Batman burts through, he stopped when he looked at me.

I gave him a small strained smile. “You’re late, missed all the action.” I motion to the vent. “Took care of it.”

His body visibly relaxes and his gaze rolls over me, obviously trying to find the source of pain.

“I take it you dealt with the Hostage situation. Is everyone okay?” He nods and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. He seems to decide something as he stands taller.

“I alerted the police about the bomb, follow me.” He pauses. “I’ll take care of your ribs.” His words surprise me but I guess he must have blamed himself. I slowly stand and he reaches a hand out to help me up the stairs and out of the building. I watch as he call up his car from a push of a button. Wow, I wish I had could do that with my car, whenever I did end up buying one.

  
  



	6. Chaper 6

I must have fell asleep on the ride because I wake up on a cold marble table. Seriously this was the closest thing he had to a bed down here? That’s sad. Sitting up pain shoots through my side and I take a ragged breath and the pain subsides quickly. “Holy mother of everything, that hurts.”

Batman turned from his place at the giant computer in front of him. “You managed to snap one of your ribs.” He crosses his arms and stares at me. 

I take in my surroundings. It was some sort of cave, rather fitting for someone who called himself Batman. The space is still filled with all sorts of incredible looking technology. I  looking back at batman and realizing he wanted something from me. “Uh, What?” 

Batman stood and walked closer to me, his voice was meanicing. “You knew how to defuse the bomb, and you found it with almost no trouble.” Suddenly I wasn’t liking where this was heading. “How did you know?” HIs voice was low and heavy.

My blood runs cold but I keep from moving or acting nervous. I respond in a tired voice. “I’m a detective in Gotham Batman, we all know more than we should. It wasn’t hard to guess Wayne Towers weakest spot was underground, I just went down until I head beeping. As for defusing the bomb? It became clear pretty quickly that in Gotham I have to be able to defuse a bomb because the bad guys don’t wait for the bomb squad.”

He looks barely satisfied by the answer but backs off a little bit. I wasn’t surprised. It was a rather hastily put together lie. As he turns to walk back he calls out another surprising question. “Then you’ll be able to explain why all three of your broken ribs have already healed and left nothing but bruises.”

I feel about ready to punch him in the face. I suppose Gordon didn’t jokingly call him Sherlock Holmes for nothing. He was getting to be a little too close to all my secrets. I suppose I couldn’t lie myself out of this one. 

I sigh. “That would be because I’m a meta.” I twirl a strand of my hair, voice soft and almost fearful. I really had hoped I would have been able to leave this all behind but I guess I should have known better. “I come from a long lineage. I’m able to heal myself through extended periods of sleeping, my cells regenerate faster on their own. In rare desperate occasions I’m able to rapidly heal minor injuries to others, but it’s only happened a few times and I’m very tired after.”

It wasn’t all completely true but I wasn’t about to tell him I used to able to heal people near death, it would take a toll on my body afterwards but it was nothing a few days of sleep couldn’t fix.

I know, I know. I should be using it to save people, but I’ve just about had it with people trying to take advantage of my ability. The fact of the matter is in this world, I’d be used as a tool or be taken and experimented on. Neither of those were options I looked fondly upon.

Batman doesn’t say anything but silently begins typing things, the screen is too far for me to see and my body protests at just the thought of getting up. Man my powers must be really bent out of shape for my body to be this tired.

Minutes tick by and I become more and more drowsy with each passing second.

“Your an interesting character.” Batman comments. It dawns on me he’s probably being more lenient with me that I would expect, but the sleep is calling and I can hardly stay awake long enough to get comfortable and whisper to Batman.

“Goodnight.” He lets out a snort in amusement.

“It’s morning.” His words barely register as I fall into darkness.

  



	7. Chapter 7

I wake up on my bed, yawning and stretching. I groan, body feeling groggy and heavy. What time was it, and how long was I out? I was known to sleep for days when I was heavily injured. Afterwards my body would take about a day to get back to its normal shape.

I look over at my phone and see five missed calls from Gordon. It was only 7 am……. but it was Thursday. Had I seriously slept for two full days? Crap. How the hell was I going to explain this to Gordon? To his knowledge I hadn’t even come in Monday morning so I hadn’t been heard from in four days, and that was only if he somehow managed to figure out I had gone out with Bruce on Sunday.

I pick up my phone and select Gordon, putting him on speaker as I made my way to the bathroom to get ready. It begins to dial.

“Heather?!” Gordon’s voice is filled with worry, fear, and … regret?

“Hey Gordon, sorry to fall off the face of the earth.” I rub my eyes, turning on the light.

“Well this wouldn’t be the first time.” He grumbles. “Heather I thought you promised to stop doing this.” Let’s just say in the first two years of my moving to Gotham things hadn’t exactly been smooth. I was an officer who always seemed to know a lot about the inner workings of Gotham’s crime bosses and after a major operation, in which I usually was hurt, I disappeared for a few days. To heal, but he didn’t know that.

“I know Gordon.” He’d been looking out for me since the very beginning. He was part of the reason I was still on the force, and still alive. No one in Gotham’s crime web liked me too much, I was much more than a thorn in their side. No I knew how to get down and play dirty just like the rest of them, and I was more than willing to risk my life to get the information I needed.

There’s a silence, and while I didn’t do anything, I could feel the disappointment in the air. It hurt. Stupid bomb, just had to be in the worst spot.

“Well at least tell me you got something good.” His voice is weary and the guilt of lying hits me in the gut.

I stop and think about what information I could offer. The only thing at this point I had was the information on “The Bard” from george Fenway’s file, which I had forgotten to give to Batman. Man nothing is going my way today.

“I’m fairly certain I just scored a personal favor from Batman.” It was all I could think of, okay? I’m not even to certain _why_ Batman was looking into George Fenway so I’ll stay out of it for now.

“Seriously? How the hell did you manage that?” 

“Well I ran into him on Monday-” I heard Gordon mutter something about no one just running into Batman but ignore it. “I took care of the bomb in Wayne tower while he handled the hostage situation in side the office.”

“Heather when did you learn how to deactivate a bomb?”

“I took classes….”

“You took basic courses, which I made you take, and you failed all the tests.”

I did. I failed them all. I was proud of myself too, I was not going to take year long classes on things I already learned how to do. I hadn’t gone to school before, cheese would mutate into tomatoes before I did went now.

“I picked it up from …. Before.” That’s what we called it. But I know Gordon thinks I was born and raised in Gotham, and I just let him believe whatever he comes up with, because that would probably be easier than the truth.

We’ll just let him think I was forced into that lifestyle, and that I grew up poor, on the streets, being abused. It _is_ a rather good cover story. No matter how much it hurt to lie to the man that was basically a second older brother to me.

It goes silent again and I can almost hear him thinking.

“I don't know what you’re hiding Heather, but hopefully one day you can trust me.” I knew me steering the conversation wouldn’t work, but at least he’s letting me off the hook. For now. I just stare into the mirror before looking back at the phone.

“I’ll see you at work Gordon.” 

He sighs. “I’ll be waiting.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

Once at work I look at the load of paperwork and groan. I turn around to glare at everyone and watch them as they try and fail to hide their snickers. Of course they’d all taken the opportunity to pass off their workload to someone else. I would have too.

The day is slow in passing and by seven Gordon is heading over to my desk with a file in hand. He places it in my hands and addresses me as I flip through it. “That’s everything I have on Harvey Dent. Get it to Batman.” He walks away without another word. The same pain from this morning shoots through my gut but there's nothing I can do. I’d be hurt if I were in his position too.

“Wait...What does batman want with Harvey Dent? As far as I know the man’s as clean as a whistle.” I call out, turning in my chair.

Gordon shrugs. “No clue. He knows more about this whole villain business than I.”

I stand and cross the room. “But Harvey Dent has never even visted Arkham, let alone been recorded for a parking violation.” Which was saying something, because let me tell you. Everyone had parking violations in Gotham, I mean by the lower east side seeing cars parked on the sidewalk was commonplace.

He looks off to the side, hand scratching his head. He looks back at me with a smile, his hand patting my shoulder. “Still no clue. Why don’t you find out for me?” He turns and heads out the door.

I watch him go before stopping. “Wait! Gordon! How am I supposed to get a hold of him?”

“I don’t know? You’re the one dating him! Figure it out!” He called out, door slamming behind him.

“Gordon! I’m not dating him, and he didn’t give me a big signal to summon him or anything!” I sigh realizing it’s useless and Gordon’s just a little too happy with me being the one stuck trying to figure out how to contact him. Speaking of…. How does Batman contact Gordon? Gordon-signal? I don’t even know anymore.

I head home, realizing my car was probably done and I could stop by tomorrow morning and get it back. As I open the door I groan. Well, I’d found Batman.

“Alright Jackie Chan, what do you want?” I close the door behind me, turning on the light and moving toward the kitchen.

Batman appeared from the shadows. “Heather Williams. It’s strange, there isn’t any record of you before five years ago. Anywhere.” HIs eyes narrowed at that last part and I roll my eyes.

“This is Gotham, there are plenty of people who live here that don’t have records.” I put my keys a purse on the counter. “Try again Sherlock.”

“You didn’t pass any of the basic courses that the police put you through, including the tryouts for bomb squad.” The implication was that if I had lied about my abilities to the police, I could be lying to him. To his credit, he wasn’t wrong.

“Let’s cut the crap and get to the point.” I pull out pasta and a pot. “You want to know if you can trust me.” Batman moves closer setting files down on the counter.

“Can I?” He says it as if he expected this from me, a smirk stretching across his face.

I sigh. What the hell have I gotten myself into. I leave the pot of heating water on the stove and dig through my purse trying to find the paper from last week. It’s folded in a small pocket. I hand it over. “Here, I’d been meaning to give this to you, but it slipped my mind during our last crisis. It must have fallen out of the Fenway’s file when you so rudly snatchhed it from me.”

He takes it, unfolding it and glancing it over. “Do you know this…. Bard?”

“Unfortunately yes.” Batman looks at me, obviously expecting me to explain. “He’s my father.”


	9. Chapter 9

Batman’s smirk disappears. “When my father first started his business he went by the Bard, now he just uses his regular name Taliesin. He practically owns the black market, he deals with everything and is involved in just about every big underground community be it Gotham, the mafia, even the league of assassins.” I take the pot off the stove so it doesn’t boil over.

“You know about the league of assassins?” Batman looks like he’s simultaneously reevaluating me and gearing up for a fight. Seriously? You’d have to be straight up horrible at being a detective if you lived in Gotham and didn’t know who they were.

“My father always enjoyed messing with Ra’s al Ghul. Don’t worry I’m not going to fight you.” I take a seat and sigh, so much for leaving anything behind. “As a little girl I was trained to be his right hand man, my older brother and I were sent out to do all sorts of things. It wasn’t until I was 22 I realised just what I was doing and up until five years ago I made excuses for it.” I glance up to see Batman placing something else on the counter. It was rectangular and black with four buttons.

He looks me in the eye and it feels like the world stops spinning. “And you used the knowledge you had from your father’s business to later try to take down crime lords.”

I smile. “I am particularly proud of almost putting Carmine Falcone in jail.” A feat practically unheard of and had cost me my car and as of now I’ve made a long life enemy. Another great step for a Gotham detective. Maybe one day I’d score at least getting him time in prison with bail.

He considers me. Maybe making an enemy out of Gotham’s most notorious crime boss had an effect? Probably not. This was still Batman. “I will trust you for now.”

Wait. Hold it. Rewind. Why the cheese was he trusting me? To be quite honest I wouldn’t trust me, not that I was complaining. I’d take small miracles were I could get them. “Why?”

“Gordon is a good judge of character.” What did that have to do with anything I’d just said. Gordon must have said something, or their was something Batman wasn’t telling me. Most likely the latter. “The first button will let me know you need to contact me.” He turns and leaves through the window and I sit for a while.

I had so many questions. What did the rest of the buttons do for starters, and what did he want me to do with the files he just gave me?  Wait didn’t I need to give him Harvey Dent’s file? I glance over to my purse and the file isn’t there. Well he took care of that one. I thought Batman was supposed to be a gentleman. Gentlemen don’t go digging through people’s purses.

“He did that on purpose didn’t he…..” I say to my half cooked pasta. I grab the rectangular button pushy thingy and move the file to the side. Too emotional. Need food.

The next morning my head was clearer and I sat at my kitchen counter. I open the files Batman left last night and begin reading through. It was all very jumbled and looked like notes that had been written by a four year old. There was something about a few different chemical components and materials that would contain the chemicals. At the bottom of one of the pages was a chemical made of three components I recognized.

It looked a little too like someone was trying to create a toxin that would seep into one’s skin for my liking. Which narrowed down the possible known criminals to about half. Why did almost every criminal Batman ever fought have to use some version of a gas that either killed you or made you go crazy? Couldn’t they be more creative. The discovery wasn’t  very helpful.

So I did what any smart Gotham detective would do. I went to find my cousin, who was conveniently currently staying in Arkham Asylum.  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter

I stepped in through the doors of the security check with the papers tucked into my bra. As I followed the officer I could hear the sounds of laughing and screaming like little kids were playing. Wasn’t the Joker currently back in Arkham? It would explain the yelling of “No, _I’m_ Batman!” Edward said it was a game they all played whenever the Joker returned.

“He’s waiting in that room.” The officer explained, headed down a different corridor and pointed to a door. “Yell if you need anything.”

I give him a weird look but brush it off. Wasn’t he worried of anything? Well if I didn’t have to worry about someone watching me hand a known criminal papers than it just made my job easier. Swinging the door open I smile watching my cousin throw himself into the chair and off the top of the table. “What in the cheese are you doing?” I ask.

“Oh, it’s only you.” Edward sits up and rests his elbows on the table. “Well what can I do for you dear cousin?” He says it in a fake pleasant tone.

“Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” I pull out the other chair and study him, his face is paler than usual and he looks tired. Concern bubbles up but I push it to the side, I’d ask after.

“You could say that.” He grumbles.

I produce the papers from my bra and place them on the table. “Do you think you could identify who this is for?” He picks it up and rests his feet on the table. “I don’t recognize the handwriting, it doesn’t look anything like Crane’s formula or the Joker’s laughing gas. It looks like it’s supposed to kill people upon contact with the skin, and burn their skin off.” He puts it down.

“Wow, doesn’t that just sound lovely.” I sigh. “Don’t suppose I could talk to my happy cousin?” He looks up into my eyes, searching for something. He drops his head onto the table and groans.

“I just can’t get anything past you.” He picks himself up again and gives me a playful smirk. “I’ll give you a hint. You’re overdue.”

I roll my eyes. “For my period?” I shake my head. Edward and his stupid riddles. “Can’t I at least get another four lines like Batman would?”

Edward tilts his head and snatches up the papers again, looking at them more intently. “You’re not Batman.” This man, honestly. I had never been very good at solving his riddles when I was little, why would I be any better now? Just because we shared a great grandma doesn’t mean I inherited his genius.

“Will you tell me more if I figure it out?”

“Maybe.” Comes the distracted reply. “Who gave these to you? 

“Give me another hint.” He peers at me from over the top of the paper. 

“Growth is harmful.”

“Batman.” My reply is immediate and Edward glares.

“Oh, so you’re working with Batman now?” I shrug and Edward mumbles something under his breath I choose to ignore. He can be as childish as he wants, it wouldn’t make a difference.

“Edward you make it sound like you’re pregnant.” He laughs and moves to another page.

“I’m a man Heather, really I thought you were smarter than this.” There’s something melancholic in his voice and I move my thoughts to trying to understand his riddle. I ruled out the possibility of him being a father and anything to do with pregnancy. Really Edward would never be that obvious about things.

“Edward.” He set the papers down. He knew I’d figured it out. “Where exactly is the cancer?” He taps his head and then makes a throat cutting sign. So it was terminal.

“It’s alright. I have a plan.” He twirls his hat around on his finger, eyes gleaming.

“One I hope doesn’t involve me breaking you out of Arkham.” It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d asked me to.

“Nope. But that would make it a lot easier for me.” He says it like he’s asking. He never stopped planning did he?

“Not happening. However I’m not opposed to contacting my mother if you need supplies.” He stops twirling his hat and replaces it on his head.

“Already done.” He smirks. “Your father was rather behind the idea.” Oh no. Suddenly I know exactly what he’s planning. If Ra’s al Ghul found out Edward had snuck into the Lazarus Pits he’d kill him and then send his body parts to my father, which would start a war I really didn’t want to get caught in the middle of, but would be anyhow.

“Please, please tell me you aren’t messing with the league of assassins.” He stays silent. “Good lord Edward you’re going to get us all killed!” I glare at him but he’s unfazed. 

“Not if I don’t get caught.” He’s entirely too smug but at this point there is nothing I can do to talk him out of it, and even if I should try to stop him I hardly wanted my cousin to die. 

“Just tell me what you figured out.” I say waving my hand. Really this was more information than I wanted to know in the first place. He turns around the papers and points to two specific chemicals.

“Now I don’t know about you but if I was the Joker or Scarecrow I wouldn’t be looking to burn people’s skin off with my gas in addition to killing them. Joker looks for laughing and Scarecrow wants to reveal people’s fear to them, get them to overcome their fears. If they die from their own fears than that’s really just all for the better for them.” Edward then turns my attention to a smaller note on the side.

“The handwriting isn’t neat, but right here someone’s written an a differently than all the rest. It suggests better comprehension and that they’re trying to pass off the note’s as a mad man’s rambling so that whoever reads this won’t tie it to them. They tried, but failed.” I look up at Edward in shock, sometimes I forget just how smart he was, he was supposed to rival Batman in intellect wasn’t he.

“So they who could it be?”

“Oh dear cousin, you haven’t figured it out yet?” I give him a no nonsense look. “Alright, pay attention to what some of the other notes point to. They want the poison to be more of a substance and less of an air toxin. Most likely they’re using someone else’s old formula and are trying to change it to fit their needs. It sounds like they want to be able to paint it onto a surface and then apply it to someone’s skin and burn off their face, possibly even searing a ‘mask like object’ to their face.” He pulls himself away from the table, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms. “Now who does that sound like to you?”

I sigh. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy or not. At least it wasn’t the Joker. “Black Mask.”

Edward smiles at me. “Someone’s back in town.”

 


	11. Chapter 11

I begin to head home but think but think better of it when I realize I should try to contact Batman to give him the information. I did still have the button he gave me and it wouldn’t hurt to try to get ahead of Black Mask while we could. I pick a random building and climb to the top, breath heavy. Wow I really need to start working out again.

Maybe I should start climbing or dancing or something cool like that……. nah I don’t have the time. A warm breeze blows through as I make it to the top of the building. I hear the faint sounds of yelling below but ignore it. It sounded like a couple fighting. I press the button and wait.

Four minutes later I hear someone land behind me and I turn holding out the papers. “Black mask. The formula is basically an acid to burn people’s faces off.” Batman takes them with a nod.

“Good. Stick close to Bruce Wayne, Black Mask has a nasty habit of trying to murder him.” I smirk.

“Duly noted.” I pause. “So what am I? Your partner?”

“Try consultant.”

I scoff, feeling a little hurt. I thought I’d earned his trust with the whole putting myself in danger to defuse a bomb. “Way to make a girl feel appreciated.” Batman rolls his eyes and disappears. Time to contact Bruce Wayne for Ice cream after a shower. 

Surprisingly Bruce Wayne texts first. I almost fall in the shower when the ding scares me, but that’s besides the point.

_ ‘Interested in grabbing food?’ _

_ ‘Sure, the usual?’ _

_ ‘I was thinking somewhere a little more upscale.’ _

_ ‘Sushi?’ _

_ ‘More like Irma’s’  _ I pause.

_ ‘Isn’t that like the creme de la creme place where appetizers are 50 bucks?’ _

_ ‘Well I figured for a first date…’ _

_ ‘First date?’ _

_ ‘Are you interested? _ ’ Was I interested? This was Gotham’s most eligible bachelor, and probably the only friend outside of Gotham’s criminals or Legal system I’d made. It didn't hurt that he was sweet and funny and I was supposed to be watching over him too.

_ ‘Yes, what time?’ _

_ ‘7:00?’ _

_ ‘Good for me, see you!’ _

Something told me I needed to go shopping because I wasn’t sure the last time I had gone out. A quick trip to The Highlander produced a floor length lavender purple dress that cost about ten of my paychecks. On the plus side I had a new nice dress. I’d also grabbed a new pantsuit while I was at it, my other two were getting old and raggedy.

Getting ready was shoving myself into the slim dress, finding beige heels from the back of my closet, wrestling my long curly hair into a nice bun, and brushing my teeth. So about five hours after Bruce had texted me I was reevaluating the contents of my purse when I heard a knock on the door. It revealed a handsome man dressed to the peak of fashion.

“Heather.” He greeted, his voice wavered and it brought a heavy blush to my cheeks. It made me feel even prettier than I already had and I couldn’t help but hope I’d be feeling that way for the rest of the date.

“Bruce!” I jump into a hug, trying to cover up the blush. He doesn’t even stumble when I hit him, encircling me in his arms. A hearty chuckle leaves his mouth.

“Hello, it hasn’t been that long.” I pull away and level him with a serious look. Blush be damned I wasn’t going to let him think I was that desperate.

“I didn’t miss you, I was just trying to get to your wallet.”

“Oh, I see.” A wide smirk crosses his lips. “And why is that.”

I give him a sly smile. “Well I need the money to pay for our dinner don’t I?” He only rolls his eyes and offers me his arm.

“Shall we be off?”

I snatch up my purse from the counter and accept his arm. “We shall.”

  
  



	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really nervous about this chapter. I don't love it but I want to keep writing. Please feel free to give feedback!

We arrive at the restaurant and I can’t help but side eye the food as we make our way to the table. The smell alone could make me drool. I was so ready to eat tonight. We were seated in the far corner of the room in a circular booth with a closable curtain.

Bruce let me take a seat first before scooting up next to me. He pulled the curtains back and put our menus up in such a way they would have blocked everything else from view if the curtain was open. Turning to me he smiles and hands me an empty glass. “Sorry, I enjoy my privacy.”

“Besides feeling like teens who snuck into a restaurant they can’t afford, I don’t mind.” Bruce rolls his eyes; unrolling his napkin and placing it in his lap.

“I can afford the restaurant, it doesn’t mean I want to pay.” The comment is under his breath and I can’t tell if it was actually meant for me to hear of not. I can’t help laughing anyway.

“So, what are we going to eat?” I peer at the menu, searching through foods. “God everything sounds heavenly.”

“Most of the food here is quite spicy, be careful what you pick.” He says absent mindedly writing something down on a piece of paper he withdrew from his pocket.

I glance at him and smirk. “Now I’m going to pick the spiciest thing they have. Also I’m going to take full advantage of having as much butter chicken as I can.” Bruce stops to look at me with renewed interest.

“Do you know a lot about traditional Indian food?”

I smile, snatching away the paper in his hand. “Yes.” I read the paper. “Isn’t Ladakh incredibly expensive?” I hand it back.

“It is, but at least it won’t be wasted on someone who doesn’t know much about it and its origin.” Bruce pockets the paper and turns to face me. He grabs the napkin in front of me and places it on my lap and then holds out utensils. My stomach flutters and I accept them with a large smile. The night was going to be promising.

The waiter comes and we both order, and Bruce hands him the piece of paper he’d written on. The waiter only smiles and nods and heads off. I turn to Bruce and ask him about his job, what he’s interested in, the like. I wanted to get to know him better, besides my side mission of protecting him I still wanted to get to know the man in front of me.

And talk he did, he told me all about his work and the Gotham he was striving to achieve. He told me about Alfred, the man who was like a second father to him, how in the recent weeks Alfred had been pushing him, to go out of his way to make closer friends. And then he asked me about my life, my family, more specifically if I had started talking to them again like he had suggested. From there it went downhill rather quickly.

“My family is fine.”

“Nothing more notable about them then that?” He laughed. It felt wrong to tell the man in front of me, the man who had lost all but one part of his family, that I was ignoring mine. I’d left them, even if it was from a dark place, I had still left them. 

“No, not really.” He stopped smiling and gave me a concerned look.

“Is everything all right?” He put his hand over mine on the table but I shirked off his touch. His face fell and he quickly covered up the pain that flashed across his face. I couldn’t just tell him who my family was. They’d hurt people, I’d hurt people it wasn’t as simple as we were evil, but it was a lifestyle and it was easy to ignore that guilty feeling when you were surrounded by family.

“I’m fine. Look, I think it’s time I head home, I’ll pay you back my half of the meal next time I see you yeah?” I slid out of the booth and started to stand but he caught my hand.

“Heather, talking about your family isn’t waving it in my face that I don’t have one. I did ask. I just want to get to know you, I asked you on a date because I’m interested in  _ you. _ Not anyone else, so if you don’t want to talk about your family, that’s fine. There’s a world full of topics, we can always pick a different one.” He gives me a small smile. It wasn’t that typical Bruce Wayne smile that had every woman swooning. It was one that was hopeful, weary, and a little hurt. I turned towards him and gave him a smile of my own. I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t interested in him too.

“Well, what do you say we pay and go get some ice cream?”

He let go of the breath he must have been holding and nodded. “I’d like nothing better.”

  
  



End file.
